Pennies from Heaven
by MarieVargas
Summary: Newkirk reads the letter that Mavis sent him through Kinch. This takes place between chapters 2 and 3 of my other fanfiction, Never in a Million Years.


Newkirk is talking animatedly to Jean-Philippe and Carter, gesturing with his hands, "So, Louis has this chicken set up on this contraption to catch eggs and-"

"Oh, Newkirk, I just remembered. I met up with your sister the other day at the hospital and she gave me a letter for you," Kinch says as he turns to his friend.

Newkirk stops his story and looks up, "My sister Mavis?"

"Yeah, I wanted to tell her that you were on your way home so she could be ready for you when you get home tomorrow."

Newkirk hops up from the couch and goes to Kinch as the man feels his jacket and pulls out a crisp little letter. Before he could hand it to the other, Newkirk is already snatching it out of his hand and opening it.

Kinch chuckles and goes back to his conversation with Hogan, "Some things never change…"

"You know how he is with his sister, can you blame him?"

Newkirk excuses himself to hobble to his room that Kumasa showed him to earlier and hops on his bed to read his letter in private. This is the first letter he has received from his sister that didn't go through any censors after all.

' _Peter, I can't wait to see you again. It seems like a lifetime and a day since you left and I've missed you so terribly words don't even seem to cover it. So much has happened and I'm not certain where to start._

 _John came home yesterday, he's a little beat up, but his spirits are still high and that's all I can ask for. Arthur is coming home tomorrow, his platoon just left Brussels from what I've heard from the men that just came in this morning. Elizabeth, Victoria, and Jane have been doing wonderfully in school and have been working on our little victory garden diligently while Anne makes due with the furs we collect. Catherine and I couldn't be happier to finally have all of us back home under one roof again._

 _Well, not all of us._

 _Peter, oh Peter, please don't be mad at me. I told the others not to tell you because I didn't want you to get hurt trying to escape from your camp and do something silly.'_

He feels his blood run cold. What kind of letter did Mavis give Kinch? She always tried to be the rational one of the two, but Newkirk knew better. She always gave him the good news before telling him something that would make the floor drop out from under him. His instincts told him that he didn't want to hear the next part, but the burning question as to what made him continue.

' _Brian is dead. He died in North Africa just days before we won it. The report from his colleague said he died saving him from the German ambush. Eileen died later that year in a bombing raid. She was getting some children to a shelter when a building came down on her._

 _We tried to save her, but it was too late. There was nothing any of us could do._

 _Oh Peter, please forgive me for not telling you, but you know it was for the best. There is no way that you could have done anything and I didn't want you to get hurt.'_

Newkirk could feel burning tears in his eyes. He should have listened to himself. He knew that Mavis meant well, but this was one hell of a way for him to find out that his brother and sister had been dead for almost two years.

His hands falter before he puts them in his lap, the letter crinkling just a bit. He wasn't even halfway done with it and he didn't want to read anymore.

' _Barry is gone too. Cat is so distraught. Da is probably dead as well, but I don't know. I'm just glad I didn't lose you, Peter. It's a horrible thing to say, but you're my twin, you mean the world to me and then some, I'm not sure I could go on without you, even though we have been apart for so long._

 _Please come home safe, Peter. The war is almost over, but I can't risk losing you. There's already been so much death and one more might just kill me._

 _We all love you dearly and cannot wait until you are back again in England, safe and sound._

 _God be with you._

 _Your very apologetic and loving sister,_

 _Mavis_

 _P.S._

 _I told your friend to check in on you after giving you this. I know you don't like people seeing you upset, but he seems like a very good friend.'_

Just then, there's a knock on the door and Newkirk looks up, scrubbing at his eyes, "Kinch is that you?"

"Mavis told me that you might need someone to talk to."

"She wrote that in 'er letter," Newkirk's voice cracks and he knows that Kinch could hear it clear as day.

"May I come in?"

He hesitates, then puts the paper away before going to open the door.

"How are you feeling?" Kinch asks softly, like he can see Newkirk's tearstained face and shaking hand on the door.

"My sister Eileen is dead. My brother Brian too."

"Oh, I'm so-"

His voice cracks again and his lip trembles, "I think I need a 'ug."

Kinch feels the door and shuts it behind him before opening his arms, "I can do that."

Newkirk fights the overwhelming urge to hide his feelings, even though he just admitted to his dear friend something that he never dared to say aloud, and buries himself in Kinch's arms. A hand falls on his back while the other rests on the back of his head like a mother would do with a child.

"... It's not fair," Newkirk says after a minute, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides.

"I know."

" 'ow the fuck did I make it out but not them? Eileen wasn't even part a the actual war."

Kinch knew he couldn't answer that question, instead holding Newkirk closer as he feels the other start to shake with silent sobs. Newkirk's hands reach up and hold onto his shirt, wrinkling it as he struggles to hold back scalding hot tears that are just coming no matter what he does to try to deter them.

They stay like that for a while, Kinch rubbing Newkirk's back until the crying subsides and the two are just hugging in silence.

"... I can't imagine what it's like losing family like that. Especially your siblings."

"It hurts," Newkirk says as he slowly pulls from Kinch, wiping his eyes, "... I'm sorry I got your shirt wet, Kinch."

"No one can even see it," he answers gently, touching Newkirk's elbow.

That pulls a chuckle from him and Kinch moves his hand to Newkirk's shoulder, "I'm going to keep them busy out there until you feel up to returning."

"Ta, Kinch, you're a real mate, you know."

"I try my best," Kinch replies opening the door and heading back out into the other room.


End file.
